Re: ABS

["Steve Makohin" <wateredg@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

From: "Robert Jenkins" <robert.jenkins@xxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2005 11:03 PM


> On Jan 13, 2005, at 10:40 PM, Steve Makohin wrote:
>>
>>> ABS is nice but after riding seven months on a bike without ABS, I can
>>> not say I miss it.
>>
>> I recently returned from visiting a buddy in Florida. It looks like those 
>> helmetless riders don't miss their lids, either. Keep in mind
>> that the degree to which a rider misses a safety device during its
>> absence in no way affects the effectiveness of that device when it
>> is used correctly.
>
> But when I had ABS, I never really found a need for it.

You are confusing the "utilization" of a device with the "usefullness" of a 
device. For example, I find my car's seatbelts to be very useful, even 
though I have never utilized them by restraining me in an vehicular incident 
(I haven't had a meaningful one). Ditto with the fire and theft insurance I 
carry on all my vehicles, house and contents. I make use of these things not 
because I have needed them in the past, but because I perceive the cost of 
getting and using these things to justify the risks that they mitigate.

Using your "reasoning", we may similary (and wrongfully) conclude that if a 
helmeted rider rides a motorcycle for years and has never had an incident, 
then he "never really found a need for [a motorcycle helmet]", and may as 
well do without.




> My motorcycling experience and the experience of a lot of other
> riders (judging by the larger number of motorcycles produced without
> ABS) is not lessened by the absence of it either.

I agree with you that over all, there does not appear to be a correlation 
between riders' enjoyment of the motorcycling experience and the presence or 
absence of ABS. I also recognize that some worry-wart individuals, like me, 
may "feel" better knowing they have a well-fitting full-face helmet, Kevlar 
pants, race grade leathers, motorcycle ABS, etc.




> I guess next you will tell me I should have the power assisted brakes, 
> simply because BMW offers it?

Nope. You would be misunderstanding my position to speculate as such.

- -Steve Makohin
 '01 R1100S/ABS
 Oakville, Ontario, Canada 

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